Sporting

   sports and games are also very useful for character-training.in their lessons boys and girls may learn about virtues as unselfishness,courage,discipline and love of one’s country, but what is learned in books can not have the same deep effect on a child’s character as what is learned through practice.most of students’ time is spent in classes, studying lessons.so what the students do in their spare time is of great importance. if each of them learns to go all out for his team and not for himself on the sports field, he will later find it natural to work for the good of society, for the good of his country.
                           （2）the olympic games
the olympic games are a famous sports event today. the games began in greece over 2500 years ago. they were held every four years at olympic. thousands of people came to cheer the young people who took part in the races.they were called athletes.men , boys and girls competed in separate groups.women could not compete in the games or watch them after they were married.
   on the first day of the games, the athletes had to promise not to cheat and not to quarrel with the judges. the second day was for gymnastics.on the third day, there were horse races.five different skills were tested that day,as part of one race.this was called the pentathlon.the fourth day was a holy day, when the athletes prayed to the gods . on the fifth day, there were running races and boxing and wrestling matches.
the winners were crowned on the last day of games.they were given circles of olive leaves to wear in their hair. the winners did not receive any prizes.
 after the romans conquered the greeks , the roman emperor stopped the games.1500 years later, in 1896, the olympics were started again.today, they are held in a different country every four years.the games begin with a runner who carries a flaming torch.this torch comes all the way from olympics. it is a way of remembering how the games began in greece.